I Need You
by Luna82cupcakes
Summary: Who knew working at Walmart would change Bella's life. Meeting a mysterious Edward has brought her into something that won't be easy getting out of. And what do they mean by a war game? Rated M for a reason. Incomplete.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fan fiction but I hope it won't be my last. I would really like to get feedback to know what I'm doing wrong...or right. I've been reading fan fics for about five years now and I've really wanted to try to write my own. I promise not all the chapters will be this short or boring. I have plans to take this story a good distance with your help. Please read and review.**

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"Where am I?" I ask myself. Everything was dark and blurry. I heard a muffled voice somewhere. I look around, and don't see much of anything. The muffled voice seemed like it was getting closer. I pinpoint where the sound was coming from and blindly walk towards it. I kept blinking my eyes hoping they would adjust to the darkness but they don't. The voice was getting clearer the more I walk towards it. It was like it was telling me to do something...Like it was telling me to...

"Run!" The voice screamed at me. "Run Bella! RUN!" I didn't understand why. I wanted to ask but whoever was telling me to run was also pulling on me, trying to get me to go the direction I just came from. I couldn't see anything. Not even the person pulling on me. I knew it was a man from his voice and his big, rough hand around my wrist. I hear another muffled voice coming our direction. The man pulling on my wrist became more urgent telling me to run and this worried me. I gave in and allowed my feet to move wherever this stranger pulled me to. The second voice seemed to get closer and clearer like the first voice but when I finally could hear the voice clear enough a chill ran up my spine.

"Bella...Bella." The second voice sang. It was sinister and scared the hell out of me. I tried to run faster but I couldn't. I tried to scream for help but couldn't find my voice. The footsteps behind us were getting faster. The second man was now running after us. Again, I tried to push myself to go faster but it seemed like I was starting to go slower. I pushed harder but still I went no faster. Now it was like the stranger and I were moving in slow motion. Unfortunately the man behind us was still going very fast. Next thing I know someone grabbed my hair hard and pulled me backwards. I found my voice and screamed.

"NOOO! Let go of me!" then my eyes shot open. I sat up in my bed and looked around. It was bright outside and I heard lawnmowers moaning. I looked over to my clock that read out eight in the morning. I sigh and laid back down. "It was just a bad dream." I told myself. I closed my eyes to go back to sleep but the lawnmowers were too loud. I groaned and sat up again. Looking towards the window I yelled out. "Who gets up this early to mow the damn grass?" knowing no one would hear me, and I wouldn't get an answer. I rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and grimace. My hair is a mess and I have dark circles under my eyes. I decide to get in the shower to wake up better.

When I get out of the bathroom I look back towards my clock that says eight thirty. What the hell? How was I in there for thirty minutes? It felt like ten minutes, if that. I drag my feet to the closet to get dressed, then head to the kitchen to find food. I'm nineteen and live on my own in this one bedroom, one bath apartment. Not the greatest thing, but not the worst either. It looks decent and the rent is cheap. I open the food cabinet and grab a pop-tart. One hell of a breakfast.

I kinda miss living with my parents but it was time for me to move out and get a job. Plus if I ever got a boyfriend I wouldn't want to bring him back to my parents place for my dad, Chief Swan, to scare him off. So far my dad has scared off two old boyfriends of mine, saying they weren't good enough for his little girl. Apparently no one is good enough for his 'little girl'. So here I am. Living on my own, working at Walmart, single...Still, and eating a pop-tart for breakfast. I'm living the life. I sighed and walked over to my work schedule.

Damn...I have to go to work tonight. At least it's only a five hour shift. I really enjoyed work when I started at Walmart during Christmas time, but now that the holidays are over everyone has lost their Christmas spirit and are grumpy most of the time. There are two main things that keep me there and dealing with rude customers. One, I have a few regulars that would miss me. Two, I really need the money. I work as a cashier and most of my shifts are night, which are okay but I have those nights that make me want to crawl in a hole. A few nights ago we were very slow and a random guy came up to me and asked if I wanted to have sex with him. Unfortunately I have to be nice and couldn't tell him where to shove it. I declined but he was persistent. I finally had to get a manager over there to get the guy to leave. Thankfully I haven't run into him since.

I walk over to the couch and plop down next to my cat, Mr. Buttons. The five year old little girl, Kenna, that stays with her mom in the apartment next to me found him and named him. Unfortunately her mom wouldn't let her keep Mr. Buttons because they already had a dog...Named Noodles. Go figure. At least Kenna was trying to be creative. Kenna and her mom came to me and asked if I wanted him so I kept him and his name. Kenna comes to visit Mr. Buttons almost everyday and we both have become very attached to him. He's sweet, gentle, and just so darn fluffy and adorable with his black and white fur. It's hard not to like him.

I turn the TV on and decide to watch a movie while I eat my pop-tart. Mr. Buttons climbed onto my lap and fell asleep about halfway through the movie. An hour later the credits were finishing up when there was a knock on my door. I go to answer it and see little Kenna standing there with a cat toy for Mr. Buttons.

"Hi miss Bella." Kenna grinned. "I made Mr. Buttons a new toy yesterday at school." She held it out for me to get a better look. It was a stick with a string attached to the end and at the end of the string was a feather tied on. I smiled at her.

"That's really neat Kenna. I think Mr. Buttons will like it a lot. Come on in, he's on the couch." I let her walk past me into the apartment then I shut the door and follow her. "Also I told you a million times, just call me Bella. When you add 'miss' in front of it I feel older than what I am." I say in a teasing voice. I actually hate the fact that I'm getting older, but then again, so do most people. I just don't think that they start to worry about that until they get closer to thirty.

"Sorry that I keep calling you 'miss'. It's just a habit. Besides, you are old compared to me." she winked at me. I laughed because she had a point. We went over to Mr. Buttons and showed him his new toy. Of course he liked it, any cat would. He played with it for a good thirty minutes before he decided he wanted food. I went over to the kitchen to fill his water and food bowl while Kenna picked a movie for us to watch. We finish two movies and some grilled cheese sandwiches before I told her I had to start getting ready for work.

"I'll see you tomorrow Bella. Bye Mr. Buttons." Kenna petted him on his furry little head, waved to me, then headed home. She was a good kid. If I ever have kids, I hope I can raise them to be as well behaved as her. I went to my bedroom and dragged out my work clothes. I got dressed, grabbed my truck keys, and headed to work.

Walmart was only fifteen minutes away from my place but driving there, almost everyday, was tiring. As I pull into my usual parking spot I see that it's not very busy today. Thank goodness. I brush my hair and put on my eyeliner. There was a knock on my window and I jumped. It was one of my co-workers, Jacob Black. I swear, I have a blush on my face every time I see him. Jacob is one of the few male cashiers and he's hot as hell. Short jet black hair, amazing muscles underneath bronze skin, and melt your heart caramel eyes. If he wasn't married and had a kid...Oh the things I would do to him. I get out of my truck and smile up at him.

"Hey Bells. What time are you here to?" he asked, returning my smile with those beautiful white teeth. I was dazed for a minute before I was able to get a hold of myself.

"Um...I think midnight. They're giving me a short shift tonight, thankfully. I'm getting tired of getting off at two in the morning." I sigh and start walking towards the building with Jacob beside me.

"Yeah. Thankfully I get off at midnight too." he chuckled. He always gets off at midnight. He's been here for three years so he has a more set schedule.

"Alright smart ass, I'll kick you." we both knew it was an empty threat but I still like making them.

"Just try it shorty. I may file harassment charges on you." He winked at me. I knew that he was joking but the thought of getting fired over empty threats worried me. The manager doesn't care if it's empty or not. You threaten someone and they complain about it, you're history. I'm going to have to watch who I threaten.

"Sure, sure." I say, trying to keep the concern out of my voice. We reach the time clock and Jacob lets me clock in first. Right on time. After he clocks in we both walk to the front to get our assigned register for the day. I see Jessica over by the book that shows where we go. Jessica is my best female friend here while Jacob is my best guy friend. I can't choose who I like more. Jacob and I greet her and look over her shoulder at the book to see where we go. A smile spreads across my face and I hear Jacob sigh in frustration.

"Shit." he groaned. "I hate register three." Everyone hated register three. The hand scanner didn't always work and neither did the card reader on the customers side. Some customers get upset when we have to swipe their card on our side. Even though it's one of the worst registers, it's one of the busiest with it being a 20 items or less line. So someone has to be on it. I have to go to register nine while Jessica has to do seventeen's break then settle at register eleven next to me.

"See you later Jacob. Have fun." I say sarcastically and he dragged his feet toward three. I turn to Jessica. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes I guess. I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Alright. Hopefully the person on seventeen won't take an extended break. I hate when some think it's okay to have a thirty minute break just because they don't feel like coming back to their register." she sighed, turned and headed to seventeen while I went to nine.

When I got to my register it was fairly neat for once. The only thing that worries me now is inside the register. I'm OCD when it comes to having everything nice and neat. It makes everything easier. Walmart has some employees that don't give a shit and just tosses the money in the drawer having bills turned different directions and overflowing it's slot. It's ridiculous that they can't take that two extra seconds to flip the bill around, and make it neat. We even had a meeting about keeping our registers clean and organized. Oh well, some will never change.

I log onto the computer, take down my closed sign, and flip my light on. As soon as my light is turned on I already have a customer. It's like they have an extra sense that tells them another line is about to open and goes running to avoid a wait. I smile and greet them. I ask them how they are doing tonight, the usual. Same routine every time I come to work. Though some nights are more interesting than others. I pray tonight is one of those night.

My first customer is an older lady with a lot of cat food. I get done scanning all her items and give her the total. Of course she pays with a check which means my drawer won't open for me to inspect it. Great. Maybe someone will pay in cash soon or get cash back on their debit card. Three more customers come and go. All pay with a debit card, no cash back. I'm not sure why I care so much if my drawer is in order or not. If it is then awesome, if not I'll just straighten it. No big deal right? Wrong. My OCD is too strong. I want to know it's in order now. I see Jessica heading my way to get the register next to me when another customer comes up. Tall man, maybe thirty, with a fishing pole.

"Time to go fishing?" I ask. I like talking to my customers. It's nice at times to have a conversation with them. If it's a big order, it makes the time seem like it goes by faster. In this case he just replies with a 'Yeah' and kills the conversation. I tried. I give him his total and he pulls out cash. Yes! He gives exact change and leaves. He must have been in a hurry because he didn't want a receipt. I type in the amount he gave me and my drawer pops open. Just as I feared. The drawer was a mess. Since it's already open, and I have no one in my line, might as well go ahead and straighten it up. I just got done organizing the top part when I heard a voice come from behind me.

"Excuse me miss. Can I get change for a twenty?" I turn slightly to face the person that beautiful voice came from and froze at what I saw. This man could possibly be more gorgeous than Jacob, and trust me, that takes a lot. He was tall with a mess of bronze hair on his head. He wore a form fitting tank top that showed off his pale skin that was toned up to have a nice muscle but not too bulky. Every angle on his face was flawless. Strong, very kissable, jaw line. Perfect lips that looks like they need to be kissed, licked, or nibbled on. Maybe all three. Then the heart stopping green eyes. Oh my.

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**Like I said, not all the chapters will be this short and boring. Please review so that I can have more motivation to finish the next chapter. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I may not be able to update chapters as quick as this one but I hope to have a chapter or two a month. I have work and my son to worry about, but I will keep writing. I love getting reviews and thank you to everyone that has added me to their favorite story list. I won't let you all down.**

***Just re-uploaded this chapter. I had my best friend beta it for me so there are not as many mistakes and a few things are slightly reword.***

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I couldn't pull my eyes away from this beautiful man. I didn't realize a full minute had passed, until he cleared his throat. I was so embarrassed that my whole body probably looked like it had a sunburn. I heard him chuckle and then he gave me a crooked smile that nearly made my heart jump out of my chest.

"Um...I-uh...Yeah. W-what kind of c-change did you need?" Oh shit. I'm making a fool out of myself. I can't believe that I was stuttering in front of this super hot guy. I bet he thought it was totally attractive. Mental head slaps. He chuckled again. Great. I'm a joke to him. I'm such an idiot. His velvet voice brought me out of my mental self-loathing.

"I need a ten, a five, and five ones if you have it." I just nodded and he handed me a twenty. My hand were slightly shaking. What is wrong with me? It's just a guy...A really hot guy. I shouldn't be acting like this. I reluctantly turn around to face my drawer and slowly counted out the change he wanted. Twice. Once I was sure that I had it right I turned back towards him and was struck by his beauty just as hard as I was the first time. It's just not fair for a guy to look this damn good. It should be against the law. He held out his perfect pale hand while I counted the money out to him, thankful that I didn't mess up. "Thank you." he said and slowly brushed his fingers against mine while he pulled his hand back to put the money in his pocket. It took everything I had not to moan. He then turned and walked away.

"Holy shit, Bella!" I turned and saw Jessica staring at me wide eyed. "I wish he came to my register. That guy was super-hot. You're still blushing." She giggled. I wasn't paying much attention to her words. Right now I was trying to focus on breathing and not passing out. I couldn't think of anything else. The next couple of hours passed by in a daze. It was like I turned into a robot and just did everything out of habit. I think Jessica talked to me a few times but I wasn't sure what it was about. Finally it was time for my break. I turned off my light, put up my closed sign, and signed off the computer.

Walking out to my truck I got an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was like someone was watching me. I stopped and looked around for a moment but I didn't notice anything strange or out of place. I definitely didn't see anyone watching me. I continued towards my truck, wrenched the door open, and climbed in. I had fifteen minutes to relax before I had to head back and finish my shift. For some reason I can't shake that feeling that I'm being watched, though. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but I kinda want to go back inside. I sigh and lean forward to rest my head on the steering wheel. I have to get a grip. I stay like that for ten minutes before I decide to cut my break short. I get out of my truck, slamming the door harder than necessary. A chill ran up my spine and I do one more paranoid glance around me then practically ran back inside Walmart. I felt stupid but didn't care.

I walked over to one of my managers and waited patiently for her to get done talking to another cashier. I liked all my managers but miss Karen is my favorite. She reminded me of my mother. She is a kind, cheerful woman. Maybe in her late thirties, early forties, with shoulder length brown hair and laugh lines around her mouth. She looked after us and if we had a problem, she would try her best to help. Though nobody wants to get on her bad side. The cashier she was talking to thanked her then walked away. She turned her attention to me.

"Yes ma'am?" She smiled. Usually when she smiles it is contagious and everyone around her starts to smile, but this time I wasn't smiling back. She knew something was bothering me. She motioned me to follow her to a more private area in the back and told me to have a seat in one of the chairs. I sat down, then she claimed the chair next to me. "Now talk to me dear. What's the problem?" I swear she sounded just like my mom, which made me feel more relaxed. I sighed.

"I'm not sure. I just don't feel very well, but I don't want to go home. I need all the hours I can get." I explained. It was the truth because I really wasn't sure what my problem was. I wasn't sick or anything That feeling in my stomach just wouldn't go away. I needed some time to myself. "Is there anything I can do other than work on the register for the rest of the night? Maybe zone an area or collect re-shops?" I liked zoning and colleting re-shops. Both were prefect for me, with my OCD. All I have to do when I'm zoning is straighten up an area and make it look presentable. With re-shops, I just have to walk around the store with a shopping cart and get items out of place. You can find items in the most odd places when looking for re-shops. Once I found a DVD in the freezer.

"Of course sweetie. I'll let you zone the aisles where the registers are. I already have someone doing re-shops. Would that be ok?" I smile and nod my head. As long as I don't have to deal with much customer interaction for the rest of the night. I thank Miss Karen and decide to start on Jessica's aisle, so that I can let her know that I wouldn't be getting back on a register tonight. Jessica didn't have any customers when I walked over to her. I didn't want to look like I was just over there to talk, so I started to zone.

"Hey Jess." I greeted her while straightening up some gift cards. "Miss Karen is letting me zone," I told her before she asked. I explained to her that I just wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. It was easier than trying to explain something I didn't completely understand myself. She nodded. When I got done with the gift cards, Jessica had a customer come to her line with a cart that was overflowing with groceries. I waved at her and went to the aisle that I was on earlier. It was kind of messy, so I knew that I'd be there for a few minutes. Before I got started I saw Jacob heading my way.

"What are you doing, Bells?" Jacob asked as he approached me. I told him the same thing that I told Jessica. He nodded his head in understanding. "Well, I'm going on my break now. It hasn't been too busy down at the express lanes but it's been constant. Once I was done with a customer I had maybe a minute until another one showed up. It drove me crazy. I prefer when we're so busy that we can't think about time or when it's so slow that I can talk to people." I knew the feeling. Most of us were that way. "So, anything interesting happen to you so far tonight?" We always enjoy telling one another about the crazy things we have to deal with throughout the night. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Not really." I didn't want to explain my encounter with the gorgeous man. Jacob would definitely laugh at me if I told him all the details. I could lie and tell him that I played it smoothly, but I don't like lying. Mostly because I'm terrible at it. Even now Jacob didn't look convinced. "Okay. Yes, something interesting happened but I don't want to talk about it." I said in frustration. He crossed his arm and narrowed his eyes. It wasn't going to work. I sighed. Who am I kidding? When he did this, it meant he would find out one way or another. Usually I'd just give in, otherwise he'd blackmail me into telling him. To be honest, I don't want to know what kind of dirt he has on me. Jacob has a way of finding out the strangest things on a person without them knowing it. "Fine. I'll tell you when we get off. I need to get back to work."

"You better, or else." He said teasingly. I grimaced at the 'or else' part. I nodded my head, and then he left to finish his break. That man can be scary at times. Just as I was about to get back to work, I caught a glimpse of Jessica turning her light off and putting up her closed sign. She must be getting ready to go to break, too. I smiled at her and she walked over to me.

"Wow, Bella. You look whiter than normal. What did Jacob say to you?" She asked with a smile on her face. I told her about our short conversation and, of course, she laughed. "Well, good luck with that. I'll see you in a little while. I'm going to go to the break room to see Mike." She waved, then went to the break room in the back. Jessica and Mike, in my opinion, are an odd couple. They've been on and off for a year now. They break up and get back together so many times I lost count, since the time I've known them. Last month they were arguing and saying that they never wanted to see each other again. Jessica was a mess when they broke up that last time. Now they are almost inseparable. I hope they make it work this time.

I sigh. I decide to start zoning the candy and the gum first. Halfway into zoning the candy, I heard someone approach me. I kept my head down while working on the bottom rows, thinking that they were just looking for something specific that wasn't on one of the other aisles. When the person didn't move or say anything I glanced over to make sure my closed sign was there and my light was off. Both were confirmed. So why was the person still standing there?

"I know you're not open, but I was hoping you would make an exception for me." I froze. It was the same voice. I was sure of it. I turned my head and saw the beautiful man that asked for change earlier. My heart skipped a beat. He gave me a crooked smile and I almost died. He had to be an angel or something. I couldn't think of any other possible explanations as to why a human being to look like a god. Jacob doesn't even have this kind of effect on me. "Would it be okay if you checked me out?" I blushed. He had no idea. I could check him out for hours. Mental slap to the face. I need to behave myself. He meant for me to ring up his items so that he can leave. Right?

"Um. Sure. No problem." I could feel my blush spread from my face, all the way to my toes. I got up from the floor and walked around to the register. I didn't bother taking down my sign or turning my light on. As soon as he leaves I'll get back to zoning. He had two items. A pair of navy blue swimming trunks and a matching pair of flip-flops. Might as well try to start a conversation. "Are you going swimming tomorrow?" I ask calmly. Yes! I didn't stutter.

"No. I plan on heading to the beach tonight." I assumed confusion was written on my face because he gave a small laugh and explained. "I enjoy the night. It's less crowded." He looked down as if he was thinking of something then looked back up at me. His face was unreadable. My heart was flying in my chest, like a bird trying to break out of its cage. I started to ring up his items. "Although, having company isn't always a bad thing." I sucked in a sharp breath. What was he saying? That he wanted company?

"I...Um...I guess you're right. Company isn't bad." What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just ask if he would like company? Stupid, stupid, stupid me. Okay, I'm going to ask him that. I am going to ask this beautiful creature if he would like company at the beach. "Wou-...Um. Your total is $9.57." Idiot. Try again. "So...Is the water cold at this time of the night?" Huge mental head slap! I wish that I could just turn invisible right now and run away.

"If you want, you could join me and find out yourself." My eyes got wide. Did he just ask me out on a date? No. I have to think rationally. Maybe this is a joke. Get my hopes high, then shoot them down and crush them just to get a good laugh. But wait...If that was so, then why does it look like he's blushing. "If you're busy after work or you're seeing someone, I underst-"

"I get off at midnight." I almost yell, interrupting his sentence. I just keep making myself look more and more like an idiot tonight. Although, somehow I keep getting that crooked grin out of him, and each time I feel as if it'll knock me to my feet. If acting a fool gets that perfect little raise at the side of his mouth to appear, then make this man my king and call me a jester.

"Alright then, Bella. I guess I'll meet you out front when you get off." My mind went blank for a moment. When did I tell him my name? I replayed the night in my head but I don't remember telling him my name earlier or now. Did he overhear it from someone? Maybe he asked another cashier. That's possible, but why would he do that when he could have just asked me himself? What if he was a creepy stalker? He might know me from somewhere. My curiosity was killing me.

"How do you know my name?" I asked. He laughed but I didn't see what was so damn funny. "What? I just asked a simple question." He started to laugh a little harder. The sound was musical. I bet it's normally one of those contagious laughs, but I was too irritated to join in. He gripped at his side and pointed at me while the chuckles continued. I looked down to what he was pointing at, and there it was, plain as fucking day. My name in big, dark, bold letters on my name tag, clipped to the collar of my shirt. Wow. I was on a roll tonight. This time I actually did slap myself in the head. I deserved it. "Alright." I told him. "Jokes over." The laughing slowed as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry. I needed a good laugh." I glared at him. Maybe going to the beach with him was a joke. Maybe I shouldn't go. Yeah, right. Like I would miss a chance to see him shirtless. My glare softened slightly.

"I'm glad I amuse you." I say in a tight voice. He gave me one more quick crooked smile and my heart melted. He gave me the money to pay for his stuff. It took me longer than usual to get the change and receipt back to him. I didn't want to make a mistake and give him something else to laugh at me for.

"I'll see you soon." With that said, he turned and started to walk away when it finally hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Hey, wait." I called. He stopped and turned slightly with a raised eyebrow. "You never did tell me your name."

"Edward. Edward Cullen."

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**Please review. It really does motivate me to write. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this chapter is a little shorter than I wanted, but it was either upload now or add more and upload next week. I hope you like it. A few more chapters to go and I'll start getting into the action. ;)**

***This has finally been beta'd by my best friend. She really is the greatest. :) Again, some things have been reworded but not as much as the last chapter. There may still be a few small mistakes left but most of them have been corrected.***

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After he left, I was once again in a daze. I went back to zoning, but it just seemed like I was the robot again, doing everything out of habit. I vaguely remember Jessica greeting me when she returned from her break. Maybe I'm dreaming or something. I looked around to make sure no one was watching me, and then I pinched myself. Ow! That was stupid. I guess I'm not dreaming. At least pinching myself pulled me out of that daze...Sort of. I walked over to the cashier whose aisle I was on, and asked her for the time. Damn. One hour left. Midnight was getting closer and yet it still seemed so far away.

I needed to come up with a plan of how everything was going to work as soon as I clock out. I told Jacob that I would tell him about the 'interesting' thing that happened to me earlier. Of course I'll probably tell him about the even more interesting thing that happened after he left to finish his break. Unfortunately, I also told that beautiful creature, Edward, that I get off at midnight and I don't want to keep him waiting. To top it all off, I need to buy a swimsuit since I don't have mine with me and there would be no time to go get it. At that exact moment I saw my friend Angela walk by. I had a plan.

"Hey Angela," I said, hopefully loud enough for her to hear me. She stopped and turned to find the source of the voice that called her name. When her eyes met mine she smiled and walked over to me.

"What's up, Bella?" Angela and I know each other from grade school, and have been friends ever since. We can talk about anything and would help each other out in any situation. I just hope that she don't think my request is too odd.

"I kinda need a small favor, if you don't mind." My voice was just a whisper. Angela rolled her eyes. Probably because she thought I was crazy for adding on the 'if you don't mind' part. I knew that she wouldn't mind, but I still felt like I needed to say it to be polite. "This may sound weird, but I need you to buy me a swimsuit and take it to my truck. Nothing fancy. Just a cheap, solid color swimsuit. You already know my size."

"No problem," she said without questioning. I smiled at her. She really is a good friend. I gave her a twenty and my truck keys so that she could unlock the door. "I just need to pick up some medicine for my mom real quick. I'll be back in a little while with your keys." I nodded, and then she headed off on her mission. I owed her one. Now for phase two. I needed to go ahead and talk to Jacob. Since he's on the express lane, he won't have an aisle for me to zone. I'll have to do something else to keep myself looking busy.

"Hey, Jake," I greeted him as I approached his register. Thankfully, he had a few customer's in line. I could help bag items and put them back in the customer's cart, while I talk to Jacob. Perfect. "I wanted to talk to you real quick. I know that I said I would explain about that thing from earlier when we got off, but I won't have time to. I have to leave as soon as I clock out." Jacob gave me a confused look, and then turned back to the computer.

"Your total is $23.78," he said to the customer. The lady slid her card and Jacob handed the receipt to her. "So, I guess explain what you can now and give me more details later, because I'm confused as hell right now." He told me as he started to ring up the next customers items.

"Alright, the short version is that I met this guy earlier today and we're going to hang out tonight. I told him that I got off at midnight, and I don't want to keep him waiting." I said to him while putting bagged items back in the customers shopping cart.

"Your total is $15.42." When the customer paid and received his receipt, Jacob turned towards me and glared. There were no more customers in line or walking towards us to break his hold. "Do you even know this guy?" He hissed. His sudden anger caught me off guard. All I could do was shake my head no. "Are you crazy, Bella? This guy could be a psychopath. You are not allowed to go off with him." He was starting to raise his voice, but it wasn't loud enough to get attention from others. I was taken aback. I couldn't believe that he was talking to me like I was a child. I was getting really pissed off.

"You can't tell me that I'm not allowed to do something. You're not my father. You may be a year older than me, but that doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do." I saw that Jacob had a customer heading his way. I was getting ready to turn and leave before this got any worse, but Jacob's voice made me stop in my tracks.

"Bella, please...I'm sorry. I just worry about you. I don't want anything bad to happen." His voice was barely a whisper. I had to strain my ears to hear him. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but I didn't give him the chance.

"Why do you even care so much?" My voice betrayed me by cracking a little. I walked away before he gave me an answer, and I was thankful that he couldn't follow me right now. I was livid. I couldn't believe what just happened. I needed to calm down and get back to work, but that was easier said than done. I've known Jacob for eight months now and we have never argued like that. I just don't understand. I walked over to an isolated area and sat on the floor, facing the candy shelf. I did this at a perfect angle that, just in case someone walked by, it would look as if I was zoning.

I took a few deep breaths, but it didn't seem to help. That feeling in the pit of my stomach, from earlier, was getting a lot worse. It's like a bunch of different emotions were mixing together and settling in my midsection, making my stomach roll. I was on the floor, for what seemed like hours. In reality, I was probably there for fifteen minutes or so. I decided to leave early. I didn't want to chance running into Jacob when I had to clock out. Also, Miss Karen already knows that I'm not feeling well tonight, so I shouldn't get into too much trouble for clocking out a little early. I got up and started walking towards the back. I didn't get very far.

"Bella?" A voice called to me. I turned and sighed with relief. It was Angela with my keys. I was so upset that I forgot I gave them to her. "Are you alright?" I didn't trust my voice enough to speak, so I just nodded my head. She didn't look convinced, but she didn't pry any further. "Here are your keys," she handed them to me,"and your swimsuit is in a bag on the passenger side floorboard. I put the change from the twenty in the bag with it." I smiled at her. She leaned in, and gave me a small hug. She started to leave. I had to get this off my chest before it crushed me.

"Wait, Angela..." Of course, my voice cracked again. She stopped and walked back to me. "I need to tell someone, and I would prefer it to be you. I think Jacob and I are fighting." I've told Angela about Jacob plenty of times before, so she didn't need much more than his name. "I met this gorgeous guy, not long after I got to work. He wanted change for a twenty, so I gave it to him and then he left. A few hours later he comes back to me, even though I wasn't on a register anymore. He had a pair of swimming trunks and flip-flops, wanting me to ring up his items. Well, in the process, he asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with him when I got off work and I agreed." I paused for a second to study her reaction. She gave nothing away so I continued. "That's why I needed a swimsuit all of a sudden. I told Jacob that I met a guy and that we were going to hang out after work. He was upset and told me that I wasn't allowed to." I winced at the memory.

"Well, Bella, I can see both sides perfectly. You want to have some fun and get to know this stranger. On Jacob's side, he's jealous." She was right about me, but there was no way Jacob was jealous.

"He can't be jealous," I told her, "he has no reason to be. I mean, he's married and has a kid." I just couldn't understand how Angela came to that conclusion.

"Him being married has nothing to do with it. Once you have some type of connection with someone, it's there. Jealousy has many forms. When we were younger, I use to be jealous when you made new friends. I wanted your full attention and it made me sad when you didn't give it to me. Maybe this is similar." I considered that for a moment. I guess that makes sense.

"Thanks. That makes me feel a little better..." I still didn't want to face Jacob yet. Maybe I'll talk to him tomorrow, if he'll let me.

"I'm glad," said Angela. "I have to go now. My mom is probably wondering where I'm at." She gave me one last hug. "Be safe. I know you're a great judge of character, you always have been. I trust that you know what you are doing. Call me if you need me, sweetie." Angela smiled at me, and then she left.

I continued on to the back of the store, thinking about everything Angela said. When I reached the time clock, it was ten minutes until midnight. It wasn't too bad, so I clocked out and headed back towards the front. Unfortunately, I would have to pass Jacob, one way or another, to get out the front door since the other doors were closed for the night. I'll just have to keep my head straight and make no stops until I reach my truck. I was almost to the front door. I cheated and slightly cut my eyes over to register three without breaking my stride. Jacob was still there but his eyes were down. He must be resetting the till. That gave me some relief. I'll have a few extra minutes to get to my truck without Jacob chasing after me.

I made it out the front door, and into the warm, night air. I love living down here in the south. I miss my parents up in Washington, but I don't miss the weather there. I glanced around the parking lot, trying to see if I could find Edward. I felt kind of silly using his name, even if I was saying it in my head. Probably because I don't know him...Or probably the thought of his name escaping my lips in a much different situation gave me the chills. I didn't see him anywhere. I sighed. Maybe it was too good to be true.

"Are you looking for me?" My legs felt like jello at the sound of the smooth, calm voice. It was almost impossible to turn around, but somehow I managed. When my eyes found the owner of the voice, my heart stopped.

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**Don't hate me. I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger but it leaves you wanting more right? :) I want to hear your thoughts. What do you think is going on? I'll give you a hint...It's not Edward behind her. Who do you think it is? So please review and I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Remember, reviews help motivate me to update sooner. Thanks. :)**

***I'm thinking about doing the next chapter in Edwards point of view from the previous chapters. What do you guys think?***


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but it is longer than the others(mainly because it's the first three chapters in Edward's POV). ;) It has not been beta'd yet so I know there are still mistakes. I sent this to my beta and I'm waiting to get it back. I just couldn't wait to update because I'm excited about this chapter. It gives you a good idea what's sorta going on so far. I really hope you enjoy it and please review. :)**

***It has finally been beta'd by my bestest friend in the whole world. :D I love her so much. There should be less mistakes now, so enjoy. :)***

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**EPOV**

"Edward...Edward," the voice sang, "time to get your head out of lala land and eat." I sighed. I can't get any time to think with my sister, Alice, here. "Your breakfast is going to get cold if you keep staring out the window day dreaming." She giggled.

"Maybe I like cold waffles and bacon. Have you ever thought of that?" I said, teasing her. She just stuck her tongue out at me, and then smiled. I look down at the food that I've been ignoring. I wasn't that hungry, but I didn't want to hurt Alice's feeling by not eating the breakfast she made me. I took a piece of bacon and started to nibble on it while turning my attention back towards the window.

Alice has been staying with me for a week now. She is on a job that was proving to be more difficult than she intended on. In simple terms for normal people, she hunts down 'bad guys', but that seems too simple for us. I used to be in the same line of work for a year until I started college. Now Alice wants me to help her on this case. I'm still trying to decide if I want to. She is looking for someone that we call a 'Special' and some of them can be very dangerous.

Our father, Carlisle, created our little 'organization'. It would be hard to explain to a normal human about what we do, mainly because most wouldn't accept it. There are many things in this world that regular humans don't realize. My kind is one of them. My father, my sister, and I are thrown into the category of a 'Special'. We are humans with an extra ability. Some would call us mutants from their fictional stories, others would just call us freaks. Our 'gifts', as my father likes to call them, are sometimes hard to control or master. Some Specials can go their entire lives without even knowing the ability that lies dormant within them.

My father didn't realize his gift until he became a doctor, and even then he didn't want to believe it. No matter how many patients he performed surgery on, or how impossible it seemed for the person to recover, as long as they still had some life left, Carlisle could heal them. He didn't really start looking into why that was until I turned six. That's when I started answering his unspoken thoughts. It was really hard back then. It got even more difficult when Alice started to see glimpses of the future. Dad had to pull us out of school and teach us himself.

"What are you thinking about?" Alice asked, bringing me out of my thoughts again. I sigh and roll my eyes.

"I was just thinking about how annoying you are," I told her with humor in my voice. She wasn't amused. Alice is all business now. She is still waiting for my answer on our partnership for her case.

"Look, Edward, I need to know if you are going to help me." I thought about being a smart ass and telling her that I would love to help her out by taking her to the nut house, or something along those lines. Since I'm a nice guy, at times, I decide that I'd keep my mouth shut about that...For now. She has been waiting on my answer for a week now and she deserves an answer soon. I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding. She is my sister and it's my duty as an older brother to help her out. I guess that settles it.

"Alright, I'll help, but you owe me one. The only reason I'm doing this is because you are my little sister. I'm not getting back in the family business, understood?" She nods her head with an ear to ear grin. I smile back at her. "So let's get started."

"Well, you know most of the situation. The Special, James Hunter, has escaped the prison on base back home. We are still not sure what he is capable of, just that his brain readings were very high. He was careful to not reveal his special abilities, at least around us, but since he escaped a level six holding cell we don't want to underestimate him. This is where you come into play. I need you to find out what his plans are." Alice stopped and watched my reaction. I made sure not to give anything away. In all honesty, I'm worried. I haven't done anything like this in a couple years. I'll have to train a little to get the feel of it again. I watch my sister carefully for a moment and see her cut her eyes to the folder laying on the counter next to her. There's something that she's not telling me.

"What is it?" I asked firmly. Alice bit her bottom lip gently, but didn't say anything. "Don't make me find out the hard way. Just tell me." She stiffened slightly then sighed.

"I'm not sure where he's at." I felt my eyes widen. She doesn't know his location? How am I suppose to help her if she doesn't know where he is? Alice must have seen the frustration building inside me. She held her small, fragile hand up in defense. "But I know what he's after." She paused, and then her eyes glazed over. "It's not really a what, but a who." Alice corrected herself. Her eyes didn't return to their normal, bright hazel, so there must be more. I wait for her to continue, but she doesn't.

"Alice...?" No response. I shake her arm lightly. Still nothing. I can't take this. I close my eyes and concentrate on nothing but Alice. Her thoughts are somehow silent, yet loud, like she's in shock. I decide to dig deeper, to the vision she just had. It didn't take very long because Alice wanted me to see it, since she couldn't find words to explain. I watch the vision play out.

_It's James in a parking lot. He's hiding in the shadows of a building. His eyes lock on a young girl, maybe my age. The girl stops and looks around, then rushes to a truck. She stay's in the truck for a few minutes then gets out, does one more glance around her surroundings and heads back towards the building, almost running. James walks calmly towards a large SUV and climbs in once the girl is inside, then drives away. He drives to a small apartment complex and goes to the room at the end of the second floor. It takes him no time to pick the lock. A cat hisses at his entrance and attacks the intruder. James throws the cat against the wall, knocking it unconscious. He sits down on the couch to wait. The vision skips to the girl unlocking the door. James is standing there as she walks in. He throws his hand over her mouth before she can scream and slams the door shut. The girl is thrown to the floor; tied up and gagged. Terror in her eyes. Words are whispered in the poor girl's ear that makes her thrash around as best as she could. James starts to rip her pants off while she sobs and tries, in vain, to fight back. He starts to unbutton his jeans._

"Stop!" I yell, getting out of Alice's head. I can't watch anymore. I can't let that happen. A tear slid down my sister's face. Alice had to watch the whole thing. That explains why she seemed to be in shock. No one with a heart could watch that and not be torn up inside. "Alice," I said more smoothly, "when is that suppose to happen?" She didn't answer. "Please, tell me..." I whispered. Alice blinked a few times, as if trying to blink the memory away.

"Tonight...The girl goes to work, and then goes home...To that." Alice whispered so softly that it was almost inaudible. I grit my teeth.

"I won't let that happen." I hiss, recognizing the building. I believe it's the Walmart down the road from here. Coming up with a plan to keep the girl safe is going to be the hard part.

"What are you planning to do, Edward?" Alice still kept here voice soft and quiet. She must be shaken up still. I bet she'll be like this for a while. My sister is a kind and loving person that can't stand someone innocent getting hurt. Seeing that girl getting raped from start to finish has really taken a toll on her. One downfall about her visions is that she is forced to watch what comes to her. She gets more detailed visions on Specials than she does on normal humans. With me, I have to really concentrate to hear Specials' thoughts. Everyone else's thoughts just flow into my head like a normal conversation being spoken aloud. It's very annoying at times, but I've learned to keep it down to a small buzz in my head. That's it...Maybe if I listen to the girls thoughts I can determine how to save her.

"I'm going to keep the girl from going home tonight. I'm not sure how yet, but I'll think of something." I look towards the folder still laying on the counter that contains James's file. It doesn't say much and that worries me. "We can't face James tonight though. If we don't know what he can do and we go against him, we may lose. I'll only know what he's thinking when it crosses his mind. As long as he is oblivious to my abilities and I ask the right questions, I can get what I need from him." Alice looks a little more hopeful now. "Has the future changed since I decided to intervene?" I know it has because I won't stop until the girl is safe from that monster. I just need to know what kind of direction the future is heading with my interference. Alice closed her eyes.

"It has changed, but it depends on the girl's decision to complete it. Right now I know for sure nothing is going to happen to the girl at her apartment tonight." A wave of relief washed over me. I don't even know this girl and yet I'm so determined to save her. It's almost like she gives me meaning to do this job. Alice doesn't actually need me for this assignment, she just prefers me over her other options because I can make it go easier. This stranger is the one that needs me.

"I'm going to go check out her apartment. I want to make sure James isn't already there watching the girl. I don't want him anywhere near her." I get up from the table, ignoring the remainder of my breakfast, and head towards the front door.

"So far he hasn't decided to check out her apartment during the day, but maybe it is a good idea, just in case. Be careful, Edward." I smile at my sister and give her a quick nod. "If you need me, just call. I'll be watching. Everything seems quiet, but one little decision can change it all."

"Thanks, Alice." I'm counting on my decision to save this girl from her terrible fate. I drive to the small apartment complex. When I arrive, I look for the SUV from the vision. No sign of it. James could have stolen it at the last minute for all I know. Maybe he has a different vehicle. Damn it. I close my eyes and clear out everything; all the voices rushing into my head, the animals going about their day, the cars and lawnmowers...Everything. One of my few moments of peace is when I'm trying to read the mind of a Special nearby. James isn't around at the moment though. My mind would have found his by now if he was. I open my eyes and wince at the pain that flowed through my head. Every noise I blocked out hit me like a ton of bricks. The main disadvantage of trying to find a Special in a public place is the pain that follows. The situation with Alice earlier was a lot easier. I didn't really have to block out much in that enclosed room. The pain that hit me, after I got out of her head was so minimal that it felt like a small pillow was thrown at my head. I see a little girl walking around on the second floor, heading towards the room from the vision.

_'I really hope Mr. Buttons likes his new toy I made. I hope Miss Bella likes it too.'_ The young child thought. Miss Bella...I wonder if she's talking about the girl from the vision. The little girl knocked on the door and waited. The door opened. _'Good, Miss Bella is home.'_ She thought. Sure enough, it is the girl from the vision. So her name is Bella. I bet it's short for Isabella. Beautiful. The little girl starts to walk inside when I realize something is off. The girl...Bella...I can't hear her thoughts. Is she a Special? I close my eyes and block out my surroundings, trying to get into Bella's head. I still can't hear anything. I don't understand. This has never happened before. I open my eyes, letting the pain wash over me. I have to call Alice. I pull my phone out of my pocket. Just as I was about to put in my sister's number, she calls me first.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Alice sounded confused. It makes sense for her to be confused, considering I didn't plan on calling her at all. Even if James were here, I wouldn't have called her. I just wasn't expecting a situation like this, and I bet Alice wasn't either.

"I'm not sure," I say quietly. "Bella, the girl from the vision...I can't read her thoughts." There's a long pause on the other end of the phone.

"Do you mean she is like us?" Alice asked, almost sounding happy.

"I don't know. I've tried blocking everything out, but I still couldn't read her mind. The only way that I can think of finding out for sure is testing her brain readings, and I don't think that's going to happen. It's not like I can just go up to her and say 'Hey, come with me so that I can test your brain to see if you're a weirdo like me'. She'd think I'm crazy and run in the opposite direction." I grimace at the thought. For some reason, the thought of Bella running away from me, like I'm the monster, made my chest ache.

"Yeah...I guess you're right." Alice got quiet again for a moment. "Unless you get her to trust you. Once you have her trust, you can tell her you are training to become a neurologist and would like to do a simple, non-harmful test on her." This idea irritates me.

"If I gained her trust, I wouldn't lie to her like that. She would never trust me again." I sigh. It's not like it matters though. After we catch James and she is safe, I may not see her anymore. The ache in my chest flared again. Why am I feeling this way over a stranger?

"Do you think she would accept the truth?" Alice whispered. Her guess is better than mine at this point. A part of me wants her to accept it and be ok with what we are, but the other part wants to be realistic.

"Maybe." That's all I can manage to say. I'm just so damn confused. I have tons of questions running through my head and none of them can be answered right now.

"Well what is the girl-"

"Bella." I cut her off, correcting her firmly.

"Sorry. What is 'Bella' doing right now?" Alice let out a small giggle. What the hell is she laughing about?

"I don't know. She's in her apartment so I can't see her." I said in a tight voice. Alice giggled again. "What's so damn funny?" My words dipping with acid.

"Think about it, Edward. There are so many things wrong with this situation. One, I know you have to be frustrated to hell and back by not knowing what she's doing, since you can't get into her head. Two, you're acting like a stalker by watching her apartment when I have an eye on James's decisions. Shall I continue?" My entire body went tense when Alice said I was acting like a stalker. I shut my phone, hanging up on her. I doubt she'll call back since she'll see that I've decided to go home. I just want to check on Bella before I leave. I found the little girls thoughts easy enough. She is watching a movie right now, so I didn't see Bella through her thoughts. I'll just have to hope Bella stays safe until I think of a way to stop James. I start the car and head home.

I can tell that I've been getting on my sister's nerves ever since I got home. I've asked her at least half a dozen times in two hours if anything has changed with Bella or James. Each time I got a 'no'. That made me more anxious. I sigh and plop down on my king sized bed, tired of pacing my room. It's been about twenty minutes since I last asked Alice to check on things. Maybe I should ask again. I was about to sit up when my door flung open, slamming against the wall. Alice stood in the doorway with flames in her eyes.

"NO!" She yells. "And in the next ten minutes, it's another no." She lowered her voice slightly. "I promise Edward if anything changes, anything at all, I will let you know. The little girl and Bella are still watching movies." With that said, she stormed back into the living room. I guess I should try to take a nap to get my mind off things.

I open my eyes, glaring at the dim light coming from my window. Dim light...I shot up out of bed to find Alice. I walk quickly through the living room and find her in the kitchen. She smiles at my entrance. "What time is it? How long have I been asleep? Has anything changed?" I blurt out. Alice smiles wider. I could tell that she's trying to hold in laughter. I glare at her.

"It's a little after six, about four hours, and yes. Bella has decided to send the little girl home soon so she can get ready for work." I was slightly irritated.

"Why did you let me sleep for so long? Why didn't you wake me up when she made a decision?" I try to control my anger but it still showed. Alice sighed.

"You needed to rest. I'm not sure if you noticed, but you've been very stressed today. It's taken a toll on you. Plus, you haven't been sleeping very well lately. I'm not sure why, but I'm worried about you." I feel bad when she puts it that way.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Alice. I've been acting kinda crazy today, huh?" She smiles and nods her head. "I haven't told you this, but I've been having nightmares for the past few nights. I don't remember them very well, but I just wake up scared and worried." This really isn't like me. Maybe it's this case that has me all messed up. I don't want to tell this to Alice though. She might try to take me off the case, even though I just agreed to help her.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Alice asked. "Bella is going to be leaving for work soon." That's a good question. A question I don't have an answer to...Yet. I give Alice a quick hug. Alice will see my decision as soon as I make it and she'll call to tell me the results. Right now I just need to think of a plan to keep Bella safe from James. I grab my keys and head to my car. It's not a long drive to Walmart, but I want to get there before Bella. I pass the road that leads to the beach. Going to the beach tonight won't be so bad. I enjoy going there at night anyway. It would be an advantage for me as well. I pull into the Walmart parking lot when my phone starts to chime in my pocket. I find a parking spot quickly, then answer my phone.

"Alice, do you think it'll work?" I ask in a quick breath.

"I believe so. The future is still a little fuzzy. I'll know for sure once Bella decides." That's good enough for me. "Oh, and be careful. James will be there in about an hour." I clench my fist tight.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." The line disconnects and I put my phone back in my pocket. I need to stay calm for this to work. Just then, I recognize Bella's truck from the vision pull into the parking lot. She parks two rows away from me, but I still have a good line of slight. She sits in her truck a little while longer when someone goes up to her truck and knocks on her window. I tense up slightly. Bella gets out of the truck and smiles at him. I relax a little. I guess he's no threat. They start talking a little then walks inside together. Wait...What if that's her boyfriend? My heart aches at the thought. I have to know for sure.

I lock my car and follow after them. I stay a good distance behind them. Damn it! I can't hear his thoughts. They go to the very back of the store and walk through the double doors. I can't believe this. I walk into the bathroom, thankful no one is there, and then close my eyes to concentrate. I found two other Specials in the store, but I block them out and lock on to the mystery guy. They just got back to the front of the store.

"Shit. I hate register three." _'That means I won't be by Bella. This sucks. It's like they're purposely keeping me and her apart.'_ He thought. Bella's voice then registered in his head.

"See you later Jacob. Have fun." _'I wonder if she even likes me the same way that I like her.'_ He starts walking to his register. _'Why did she have to start working here after I started that lie about me being married and having a kid. I just wanted the other workers to stop flirting with me. Now that lie got to her and it would be weird if I ask her out. Damn, I hate myself. Maybe if I tell her the truth soon, she'll understand. I just have to build up the nerve to tell her though.'_ I'm starting to hate this guy. Maybe he is a threat after all. At least I know that they're not together. I try to dig a little deeper to find what his ability is, but I'm not sure he even knows about it yet. I can't find anything. I open my eyes. I wince at the slight pain that hit me. It wasn't as bad as it could have been if I was standing in the middle of the aisle.

I walk out of the bathroom and head towards the registers. I don't need to buy anything, but I need to talk to Bella. I found her easy enough. A guy, with a fishing pole, rushes away from her register. Thankfully, no one else is in her line. I slowly walk up to her, trying to stall. Her back is facing me. Bella looks as if she's straightening up her drawer. That's perfect. I can ask for change. That'll be my excuse. I take in a deep breath and pull out a twenty. "Excuse me miss. Can I get change for a twenty?" She turns to face me and the wind is nearly knocked from my lungs. This girl, Bella...Words can't even describe her beauty. I've only seen her in Alice's vision and from a distance. Seeing her up close like this...I'm speechless. She is short and slender, yet not too skinny to look like she's starving. Her skin is slightly darker than mine, only because her skin has a peach tint to it, whereas mine almost makes me look dead. Her long, mahogany hair that reaches her mid-back makes me want to run my fingers threw it. Even if she didn't have all those beautiful features, her deep mocha eyes will capture any heart. If I was dying and she showed up, I would most likely mistake her for an angel. Bella looked as if she's in a trance. I clear my throat, hoping to break it. She turned a deep red. I had to laugh a little and smile.

"Um...I-uh...Yeah. W-what kind of c-change did you need?" She stutters. I'm not sure why she's so embarrassed, but it's too adorable. I can't help the small chuckle that escaped. For some reason I feel so relaxed now. At first I was nervous, but now it's like I've known this girl forever.

"I need a ten, a five, and five ones if you have it." That sounds like a legit change amount. She nods and I hand her the twenty. She turns back towards her drawer to count out the change. With her back to me, I take a moment to think how I want this to work. I would prefer her to be alone with no one around. I just don't know if I'll get another chance to ask her before she leaves. The cashier one lane over is watching us, as best as she can, while ringing up her customers items.

_'I wonder if Bella knows him. He's really hot. I wish he came to my line.'_ The cashier thought. I glance at the girl. She blushes and looks back at her customer. Her name tags read Jessica. _'Did he catch me starring? Maybe I can over hear their conversation if I listen real hard.'_ Jessica is going to be difficult. I guess I'll have to make sure I get Bella alone, or at least around people that aren't paying as much attention as Miss Jessica. Bella pulls me out of my thoughts when she turns around with the change. I hold my hand out as she counts it back to me.

"Thank you," is all I can say. I know that I shouldn't, but I gently graze my fingers against hers. The urge that made me do so didn't go away like I had hoped. Her skin is like silk. I put the money in my pocket, reluctantly keeping my hand there as well, and walk away. Turning away from this angel is probably the hardest thing I've done in a while. I believe the only reason I was able to, is knowing I'll see her again soon. I walk straight to my car. My phone chimes as soon as I get in. Before I got to say anything, Alice starts interrogating me.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy? You know, your decisions are giving me whiplash and a major headache. Make up your damn mind. Why are you stalling? What was with the touchy thing? Do you actually plan on asking her out?" My sister is on a role tonight. I think that I heard her take her first breath.

"Hi, Alice. I'm doing great. You?" I guess this is how she felt earlier when I went a little crazy after I woke up from my nap.

"Just answer me." I couldn't help but laugh.

"What question first?" I ask, still laughing. No answer. I bet she's sitting in the kitchen glaring at the wall, wishing it was my face. I sigh, then smile. "I'm talking to you, maybe, sorry, not sure, couldn't stop myself, and I'm thinking about it." I believe I answered everything. "Look, I'll talk to you later. I want to keep a look out for James. Call me if anything comes up."

"Fine," she grumbles. I close my phone and toss it in the passenger seat. I watch all the entrances to Walmart, trying to find the SUV from the vision. Thankfully, it should stand out some. From what I can remember, it has a dent in the driver's side door and the back window is busted out. About an hour later the SUV pulls into the parking lot. Unfortunately, the driver isn't James. So I was right to assume he stole it for his plan. Damn. He could already be here. At least I know that he'll be here to watch Bella go out to her truck. I turn my attention towards the building. I watch the front entrance and where James should be standing. Another hour passes and finally Bella walks outside. I glance over towards the shadows of the building and sure enough, James is there. It's like he just magically appeared out of thin air. I swear that I checked that spot not even five minutes ago and there was no sign of him. I sit and watch my sister's vision play out in front of me. I didn't bother trying to read his mind because I won't get much out of it right now. I need to ask him direct questions to get what I want. When Bella is back inside, I get out of my car and casually walk back inside Walmart. I pay no attention to James. I don't need to pick a fight with him now. My main goal is to make sure Bella is safe.

I walk past the registers, but I don't see Bella at the one she was at earlier. I keep walking farther down. I still couldn't find her. Maybe she went to the bathroom. I walk once around the whole store, then back towards the registers. I find her straightening up some cards on Jessica's aisle. Shit. How am I going to get her away from Jessica's line of sight and hearing? Not even a minute later someone walks up the Jessica's line with a full cart and Bella gets up to walk to the aisle she was on earlier. I start to walk over towards her, but stop as soon as I see that one guy, Jacob, walk up to Bella. I step in the men's clothing while still keeping my eyes on them. Maybe I should buy something, that way I don't risk Bella getting in to trouble just by talking to her like that idiot is.

I grab a pair of swimming trunks that look nice enough and start to walk back towards Bella's register, but I stop again when Jessica approaches her. What the hell? That girl is fast if she got done with that one order already. I turn on my heel and head towards the shoes. Sandals or flip-flops would be better than sneakers on the beach. I try to distract myself instead of thinking about murder. I find a pair of matching flip-flops, praying that Bella is alone now. I take my time walking back to Bella, for the third damn time. She is finally alone. When I reach her, she doesn't look up. She continues to straighten up the candy section. A few seconds later she looks up towards her sign. Lane closed. I get it, she's not expecting any customers. Maybe I can change her mind.

"I know you're not open, but I was hoping you would make an exception for me." She turned her head towards me. I smiled at her. Being close to her again makes me feel whole for some reason. She still didn't answer me though. "Would it be okay if you checked me out?"

"Um. Sure. No problem." She gets up and walks to her register. I put my items on the belt. I almost jumped for excitement. I want to believe the only reason she agreed is because it was me and not someone else. Maybe that's too much to hope for though. She may just be being nice since I only have two items. I kind of pray for the first one. "Are you going swimming tomorrow?" She asked. This caught me off guard.

"No. I plan on heading to the beach tonight." I laugh at the small twist of confusion that crossed her face. I guess she's never been to the beach at night. "I enjoy the night. It's less crowded." I look down, not wanting to meet her gaze. Damn, come on, I need to grow a backbone. I look back into her eyes. "Although, having company isn't always a bad thing."

"I...Um...I guess you're right. Company isn't bad." Maybe I didn't get my point across clear enough. Just as I was about to try again, she went first. "Wou-...Um. Your total is $9.57." I guess she's just as nervous as I am. She's so cute. "So...Is the water cold at this time of the night?" Perfect. This is my chance.

"If you want, you could join me and find out yourself." Her eyes widened. Maybe I should have gone about this a different way. My chest ached. I feel a slight blush taint my face from embarrassment. "If you're busy after work or you're seeing someone, I underst-"

"I get off at midnight." She said, cutting me off. I gave her a small smile. This beautiful girl can make me smile and feel so complete with her presence alone.

"Alright then, Bella. I guess I'll meet you out front when you get off." Shit. I just realized that I never asked for her name. I'm so stupid. I can't tell her 'lucky guess' if she asks how I knew her name, and I sure as hell can't tell her I was spying on her and overheard her name in a child's thoughts. Wait...She's at work so she should have a name tag. I risk a glance toward her shirt collar, praying it doesn't look like I'm trying to check out her breast. Perfect. She has one. Now I just have to pretend that's how I knew her name all along. I'm decent when it comes to lying but I don't enjoy it. In this case, it's best to lie about this.

"How do you know my name?" I couldn't control the laugh that escaped. "What? I just asked a simple question." I laugh harder. How is it that as soon as I find my excuse, she asked that? Maybe luck is on my side tonight. I really hope so. I try to tell her about her name tag, but all I could do is grip my side to ease the pain from the laughter and point at it. She looks down at her name tag and then slaps herself in the head. That irratates me. I don't like her hitting herself. "Alight. Jokes over." I slow my laughter easily since the irritation set in, but I'm still out of breath.

"I'm sorry. I needed a good laugh." She glares at me. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. Then the glare softens a little.

"I'm glad I amuse you." She's still upset, but not furious. I felt the corner of my mouth lift into another small smile. I give her the money for my items and wait patiently for the change and receipt.

"I'll see you soon," I tell her as soon I receive my change. I grab my bag and start to head for the door.

"Hey, wait." I stop dead in my tracks and turn with confusion on my face. "You never did tell me your name." Bella was right. I never did mention it. Silly me.

"Edward. Edward Cullen." I tell her calmly. I continue out to the parking lot. When I get to my car, I just toss the bag in the back seat. I grab my phone from the passenger seat and call Alice.

"It's about time you called," She said cheerfully. Since she seems to be in a good mood now, the future must be looking good right now. "So far, everything looks calm. Both yours and Bella's decisions are set. Also, I have Bella's cat here." This surprised me.

"You took her cat?" My voice may have been a little loud, but I don't care. "Why?"

"Well in my vision, James throws the cat and I don't want him to get hurt." Of course she would save the cat while I save the girl. "Oh, and don't worry, no one saw me pick the lock. I left everything the way it was. Plus I think the cat likes me." I sigh and shake my head.

"I hope you plan on getting the cat back to Bella's apartment before she gets home." Whenever that will be.

"Of course. I plan to get Emmett to go with me to Bella's apartment about the same time that she was supposed to arrive and catch James off guard. Once we have James in custody I'll return the cat." It's a pretty good plan. Emmett, our cousin, has a little more strength than a regular human does, so he should be a good advantage.

"Alright. I'll call you when we leave the beach to find out how it went. Be careful." I shut my phone and lay it back down on the passenger seat. I get out and lock up the car. There is no way in hell that I'm about to sit in my car until midnight. I did enough surveillance in there for one day. Besides, James isn't here anymore so I don't have to worry about keeping an eye on things. I think I'm just going to go for a walk until it's time to meet up with Bella.

I assume that I've walked about five miles now. I stop at the convenient store to grab a bottle of water for my walk back. I should be able to make it back either a little before, or right at the time I'm supposed to meet up with Bella. I love walking at night. I don't have to worry about the sun reflecting off the sidewalk blinding me. Plus, it's nice and warm out, but the heat isn't overbearing. So far, I've hardly broken a sweat. When I get back to the Walmart parking lot, I decide to go to my car first to grab my phone. I flip it open and see I have a dozen missed calls from Alice. Just as I was about to call her back, she's calling me again.

"Alice, what's wrong?" My voice a bit shaky.

"Edward! It's James. He's made a last minute decision. I think that he had someone at Walmart keeping an eye on Bella and overheard her say she was going to be with you. The guy called James and now he plans on kidnapping Bella from Walmart!" She yelled. "I've tried calling you but you left your phone. I was about to get in my car to head there myself but I saw that one of James's men is waiting at the corner of your street and plans to take out my car if I get in it. There is no way I would have made it in time on foot. I just had to pray you made it back in time." Alice started to cry. I clench my teeth as fury washes over me. I look towards the building and see James standing behind Bella. I see her slowly turn around to face him. Damn it!

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**Well...? Tell me what you think. Please, please, please, pretty please with Edward on top, review. It motivates me so much. Thanks everyone. Hope to have chapter 5 up soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well here is chapter 5(un-beta'd at this moment). My beta is sick right now so I'm going to let her rest, so yes there are mistakes.****Also, I know this is another short chapter, but this is going to be my pattern for the rest of the story. Three short chapters in Bella's POV, then one longer chapter in Edward's POV. **

**This chapter doesn't have much to it because I cut it off before too many details were given. Sorry. I work and when I'm not busy I write down my story on paper. Well, when I started typing in everything I had written down, the chapter was getting too long. So on the bright side, I have chapter six halfway done. So please read and review. :)**

***Well this has been beta'd because my wonderful beta is too stubborn to rest while she is sick. I love her. :) She's the greatest.***

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"Are you looking for me?" My legs feel like jello at the sound of the smooth, calm voice. It is almost impossible to turn around, but somehow, I manage. When my eyes find the owner of the voice, my heart stops.

.

.

.

.

It's the guy from a few nights ago that tried to get me to have sex with him. The feeling I had in the pit of my stomach earlier doubles, and it takes everything I have not to throw up. My heart jumps into my throat as he brushes a strand of hair out of my face. I want to run, but my legs won't let me.

"So pretty," he purrs. I stiffen. Is he still wanting me to have sex with him?

"L-Look...I'm with someone." I barely get my sentence out. I'm so scared. This guy towers over me at about 6'2" and is built like a tank. I feel so small and fragile next to him.

"I don't think you are. I've been watching you for a while and I have yet to see you with someone. That means you're lying to me, and I don't like being lied to," he snarls.

"No, I p-promise I am. H-He's been out of town a-and he just got back today. I'm s-supposed to meet him t-tonight for a date." I try to sound brave and confident, but it comes out in a stutter. The guy starts to chuckle.

"I'm not worried about some random guy. You're mi-"

"Bella! There you are, angel. I've been looking for you." The guy and I turn our heads to see where the voice came from. Relief washes over me as I see Edward's beautiful face head our direction. A tear slides down my face. When he reaches us, he grabs my hand and pulls me into a gentle hug. I feel my cheeks flush scarlet. "I was so worried about you." He turns to the guy and looks surprised. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I didn't realize you were talking to someone. I'm Edward, and you are?"

"Malcolm," the man says.

"Nice to meet you, Malcom." He smiles at the guy, but doesn't offer a hand shake like most people would. I'm thankful for that, but it makes me wonder if he's putting on a show. "If you don't mind, my girlfriend and I have a date." Malcom glares at us, but Edward pays no attention to him. He grabs my hand and walks us into the parking lot. He called me his girlfriend? My blush deepens. He must be putting on a pretense. "By the way, it was nice meeting you." Edward calls over his shoulder. I look back, but the guy is gone. That was fast.

"Where did he go?" I ask myself aloud. Edward's hand tightens around mine. I glance up at him to see his face full of anger and frustration. I wonder what's bothering him so much. It couldn't be that guy... Could it? We finally stop at a shiny, silver Volvo. I assume it's Edward's.

"Are you okay?" His voice cracks slightly. Was he really that worried about me? Why?

"Yes, I'm fine now. How did you know I was in trouble?" To anyone else, it would have looked like a normal conversation between two people. Somehow Edward knew...He knew I wanted to get away. The question is how? He looks as if he's trying to debate on telling me or not.

"You probably won't believe me if I told you," he whispers, and for a moment, it looks like pain crosses his face. Damn it. This handsome creature just keeps making me more confused by the minute. I need answers.

"Try me," I say simply. He sighs.

"Alright, but not now." He looks around the parking lot, and then back at me. "Are you still okay with going to the beach with me?"

"Of course," I say too eagerly. He smiles gently at me, like I just made his day. I can't help but smile back at him. He makes me feel so warm inside. Just then, his phone rings.

"Hey Alice," he says, answering his phone. I wonder who Alice is. Stupid me. Why should I care? "Yes, but barely. Yeah, I know. Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Okay." That's all he says before closing his phone. I definitely couldn't make out what he was talking about, which slightly irritates me. I want to pry, but I know that I shouldn't. It's none of my business. It's just in my nature to want to know everything. It's hard to control my curiosity at times. I just hope the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' doesn't come to haunt me. The only way I've learned to control my curious side is to distract myself.

"So, what now?" I ask.

"Well, if you like, you can ride with me to the beach. After that, if I haven't scared you away, we can try to find somewhere to eat. Then, if you're ready, I can bring you back here to pick up your vehicle." Wow. He definitely has it all planned out.

"That's a lot of 'if's' thrown in there," I tell him jokingly. He lets out a small chuckle.

"That's because I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do. I...I want you to feel comfortable around me." My heart is racing as he says this. I just met this guy, and yet, the feelings that are flowing through me... I really shouldn't feel this way over a stranger.

"T-Thank you. Um...I guess that we can stick with your plan." I can feel the heat spreading over my face. "Honestly, I just don't want to be alone right now. That Malcolm guy really creeped me out."

"James." Edward says through clinched teeth. This throws me off.

"What?" Is all my crowded brain can come up with for a response.

"His name is James Hunter, not Malcolm. He gave a fake name." I thought that I was confused earlier, but this? I don't even know what to make of this. "The bastard." Edward mutters so quietly, I'm not sure that I was supposed to hear it. His hands ball into a fist.

"How do you know that?" I whisper. Edwards eyes get wide, like he is shocked about something. He then smiles at me and unballs his fists, but I can tell he's far from relaxed right now.

"I promise that I'll tell you everything that you want to know later." Edward unlocks his car and gets in. I hesitate for a few seconds. How far away is later? I need to distract myself before I ask him anything else right now... I gaze at his shiny car. I wonder what he does for a living to have a nice car at such a young age. It makes my ancient truck look like scrap metal. He rolls down the passenger side window and leans towards it to look out at me.

"I promise it won't bite," he says smiling. I smile back at him. "I might though." He winks at me. I know he was joking, but that doesn't stop the butterflies in my stomach. I open the door and slowly slide in. His car is as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside. There is no trash on the floor, no empty cans in the cup holder. Nothing. It's spotless. Stupid, clean, fancy car owner. In reality, I just hate myself for not taking better care of my truck. My floorboard is littered with plastic bags, empty water bottles, books, and I have a thick layer of dust on my dashboard. It's not too bad, but I think that I'm going to clean it tomorrow... "What are you thinking about?" Edward asks. I didn't realize I've been so caught up in my thinking that we haven't gone anywhere yet. He's been sitting there watching me.

"Nothing important," I say. The heat in my cheeks flare again. He scowls, but starts the car. "Oh," I remember, "I need to get my swimsuit out of my truck." He raises an eyebrow at me. I look away from his gaze. "I had a friend get me one and put it in my truck so that I didn't have to go all the way back home to get mine," I explain.

"Alright, but I'll drive you to it," he says. I'm not going to complain about that. I don't want to chance running into that Malco-...James guy again. "Where's your truck?"

"Two rows over." I point at my rust bucket. "It's the old Chevy next to the blue Ford." There aren't many veheciles surrounding it, so it isn't hard to see from here. He drives me over to my truck and I slowly climb out of his Volvo. I look around, making sure that guy isn't near my truck. As soon as I clarify that the coast is clear, I unlock my truck and grab the plastic bag on the floorboard. I don't bother inspecting the swimsuit yet. I lock the truck again and hurry back to Edward.

"Are you ready?" He asks when I finally have my seat belt fastened. I give him a firm nod, and then we're off. The beach is only ten minutes away from Walmart, but it seems much longer. I have so many questions to ask, but I don't want to be the first to break the long silence that started as soon as we left the parking lot. I rest my head agaist the window. Thankfully, we're almost there. I wish he would say something. The silence is almost deafening. His phone rings again, making me jump. He glances in my direction before answering the phone. "Alice?" He seems surprised. Who is this Alice that keeps calling? I feel silly for wanting to know who she is. It's his business, not mine. "I understand." He tightens his hand on the wheel then closes his phone. I was about to ask what was wrong, but he spoke before I could open my mouth. "We're here."

As we pull in, I suddenly feel nerveous. I'll be in my swimsuit, alone with this guy that I just met. I feel my cheeks flush. I haven't been to the beach since I was little. The only time I ever go swimming anymore is when Angela is having a pool party. Even then it's mostly females there. I just pray Angela at least got me a one piece swimsuit, that way I don't show too much skin. My gaze falls to the bag in my lap. I really should have checked it out before we left. Edward parks near the bathrooms, I guess so we can change. He turns the car off, and then glances at me for a moment.

"We can change in the bathrooms and meet up by the pier." He says softly. Is he nerveous too? No... I doubt that. He probably has beautiful women falling at his feet constantly, which makes me wonder why he would want me to join him tonight. I know I'm not ugly, but I'm not gorgeous either.

"Then you'll answer my questions?" I whisper. I have so many, I just don't know where to begin.

"Yes," he says simply. The anticipation of figuring out this stranger starts to eat at me. It makes me want to hurry, but I don't want to seem too eager. I slowly open the door and climb out. Edward follows as soon as I shut the door. With my bag in hand, I go into the women's bathroom, while Edward takes his bag into the men's. I walk into the bathroom stall, and then I pull out the swimsuit. I grimace when I notice that I'm holding a top and a bottom. Great. So much for not showing too much skin. Angela got me a black bikini with a single, rainbow butterfly on the left breast and a smaller, rainbow butterfly on the right hip. It's adorable, but thinking about wearing it around Edward makes me shy. It's funny how I can make up fantasies in my head about him and be completely comfortable at the thought. Now that I'm actually here with him, in my swimsuit, I feel too shy to face him. I sigh, and then start to undress. When I finally get my swimsuit on, I put my work shirt back on to cover myself until we actually go swimming.

I walk out of the bathroom with my work pants wrapped in the plastic bag my swimsuit was in. I look towards the beach and find Edward standing next to the pier. My heart jumps into my throat. I somehow find the strength to move my legs and head towards him. As I get closer, I realize that he has his shirt on too. Part of me is very disappointed. I reach the end of the sidewalk and stop. I take my shoes off and put them in the plastic bag as well. Finally, I step onto the warm grainy sand. I hum softly at the feel of my feet sinking into it. It's so relaxing. If it was daytime, I would probably be running to the water because of the sand trying to burn off the soles of my feet. I grin to myself, reminscing about being a child and my parents taking me to the beach for vacation. I bring myself out of the past and back into the present. I take a deep breath and continue towards the pier... Towards Edward. He turns at my approach. A small crooked grin crosses his face when he sees me.

"So..." I say hesitantly when I reach him.

"So," he replies back.

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**Please don't get too upset with me. Like I said earlier, I have chapter six halfway done. I should be posting it no later than two weeks from now. Thank you for reading and sticking with me. Also, don't forget to review for me. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the next chapter. It has been looked over by my wonderful beta. I really wish she had a FFN account so you all can show her some love. Anyways, please read and review. I will reply back now that I have constant internet access. **

**One more chapter before Edward's POV again. Yay. :) **

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I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. He puts his bag of clothes down next to the pier, and I put mine next to his. He then starts to walk towards the edge of the water then pauses when he sees that I do not follow. "Join me?" He asks. As if I'd say no. I smile shyly and nod. Excitement bubbles inside me as I follow this beautiful man. We sit down on the sand. A small wave of white foam comes near us. I cringe as I prepare myself for cold water to cover us, but it's only able to grab our toes. It feels amazing and surprisingly warm. I really need to start coming here at night more often. All you can hear is the soft lullaby of the water and the gentle whisper of the wind. "I assume you want to know what happened earlier and why I acted the way I did," he says softly, bringing me out of my daze.

"Yes, but before that..." I trail off, unsure of how to ask him. "I-I'd like to know a little about you," I whisper. I must have caught him off guard because when I glance at him, his eyes are wide and confused.

"What would you like to know?" His voice sounds guarded, almost like he's not sure about something. Maybe I should just stick to simple questions.

"How old are you?" I ask in a confident tone. Maybe I can do this without making myself look stupid. He tries to fight his grin, but fails as his perfect white teeth start to gleam in the moonlight. He really does look magnificent.

"I just turned twenty a month ago," he says calmly. Wow. He's only a few months older than me.

"Have you always lived here?"

"No. I was born in Chicago. I lived there until...until I was six." His brow furrows and he glares at the water. It seems like he wants to say something else. I wonder if something happened to him as a child.

"Where did you go after that?" I say quietly. I shouldn't push my luck, but I really want to know.

"Everywhere. My father is a doctor and he was trying to do research on something specific. Whenever he found something on the subject, no matter how far away it was, he'd have to go see it with his own eyes. My mother, sister and I would stay behind when he left the country. He did that for three full years. My mother finally put her foot down and told him no more. She was tired of traveling and wanted my father to stay home with us. So, we stayed where we were at the time, in Houston, Texas." Holy crap. My mind is trying to absorb all this new information. He must have had it pretty rough as a child.

"When did you move here?" As long as he's willing to answer, I guess it'll be okay for me to keep asking questions.

"About a year ago. I quit my job to go to college for pre-med." He smiles. "I want to be a neurologist."

"What did you do for a living before you came here for college?" His smile drops and his brow creases. Oh no. I've upset him. "I-I mean you have such a nice car for a y-young age and I just a-assumed that you came here on your own..." I trail off as the corner of his mouth starts to lift again.

"You want to know how I make it by," he says impassively. I nod. "Well, my father wanted me to have a safe vehicle, so he bought me the Volvo C30 for college. My car is more for safety than anything. As for how I pay for college and necessities, I got a full ride scholarship and I had extra money from my previous job." His eyes harden slightly. I don't want to keep probing into his personal life if it upsets him. I stay silent longer than necessary, not sure what to say next. "No more twenty questions?" Edward's eyes lighten with humor and I'm immediatley put at ease again.

"No, not unless there is more about you that you'd like to share," I smile warily. He smirks at me.

"Well my favorite color is blue. I enjoy anything that challenges my mind. I like to run early in the morning to start my day. I hate spicy foods. Shall I continue?" I let out a small laugh. He's treating this like one of those dating games. Well two can play this game.

"Oh, what a shame," I say in a British accent, just because I can. I then pretend to look around for someone. "Where is bachelor number two? He must be more fascinating and daring. I mean, who doesn't like spicy foods?" I meet his gaze and we both explode with laughter. I note how musical and carefree his laugh sounds. I could listen to it all day. Our laughter starts to slow and then Edward takes my hand. My heart is racing, and my cheeks burn. I can feel a smile slowly form on my face, but then his hand is gone.

"I'm sorry," he says quickly. "It's just... I... I don't know what I was thinking. Please, forgive me." Why is he getting so worked up over holding my hand? I grab his hand back. His eyes widen. For some reason, I'm feeling unbelievably brave.

"You shouldn't be sorry. You did nothing wrong." I smile at him. His eyes are still wide, but I can see the corner of his mouth start to rise. We sit like this for a moment longer before he finally tightens his hand around mine. It feels so warm and safe.

"Bella," he whispers. My name on his lips sounds so sweet that I practically melt. "I want to tell you everything and I want you to accept it, but I'm so scared that when I tell you, you'll run. Truthfully, it would be best for you to run as far away from me as possible. I just don't want you to." What is he saying? My heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest. "I want to get to know you better, but if I can prolong our time together for at least another hour, I'll gladly take it before you run for the hills. So if you don't mind, I promise I'll tell you everything after we leave here and eat." Wait, he thinks I'm going to run from him once he tells me everything? That's crazy. First of all, I hate running, so that's not happening. Second, I'm too drawn to him to just leave. This beautiful man has me so caught up in his spell that I'm not sure that I can leave, even if I wanted to. Though I still wonder, what kind of skeletons does he have in his closet that would make him think that I would leave? Damn it. The curiosity is killing me, but I nod my head. Another hour. I can wait that long. Right?

"Is there anything you want to ask me?" I hope there is because this is probably the only way that I can distract myself from slipping up and asking him question about his life again.

"I want to know everything about you Bella," he says gently. Everything? Where do I start?

"Well, I-" I stop when I hear a car pull up. Edward stands and looks in the direction where the car parks. I hear car doors slam shut and loud laughter fills the air.

"Let's go," Edwards says quickly. I don't question him as he helps me up and leads me toward the pier. When we reach the pier, Edward pulls me behind a wood post. What is going on? He peeks around the post. "In about two minutes we're going to go straight to my car without looking back," he whispers.

"Why?" I couldn't keep the panic out of my voice. He glances at me and smiles.

"I just don't want an altercation. It's nothing to worry about." His words put me at ease and I sneak a peek around the post to see for myself. There are two guys and a female walking towards the water, stumbling and joking around. I can see that they're holding beer. One of the guys fall down and they all let out a roar of laughter. I understand now. He doesn't want to deal with the drunks. As they reach the water, the female and the guy that fell down start to make out while the other guy pulls out a video camera and undresses. Oh god. I hide back behind the post, my eyes wide and officially scarred for life. Edward chuckles as he sees my face.

"I don't find this funny at all," I hiss. He stops his quiet laugh, but I still see the huge smile planted on his face.

"Come on," he whispers. Thank goodness we left our bags by the pier. We quietly grab them and head to his car. When we get in, he takes off down the road. I sigh in relief. That was very awkward. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes." My stomach growls to confirm my answer. I blush in embarrassment.

"Where would you like to eat?" I have to think about that. It's a little after one in the morning. What would be open at this time? I look out the window to see where we are at and I see the perfect place down the road.

"Waffle House, please." I smile sweetly.

"Alright, sounds good to me." He makes a right turn at the next light to get on the road to Waffle House. It takes only a minute more before we pull into the parking lot. Edward turns the car off then looks at me. His face is serious now. "I promised you after we eat that I would tell you everything, but I didn't imagine that our time together at the beach would get cut short. I'll keep my word and tell you everything, it's just I still don't know much about you. Maybe while we wait on our food you can tell me just a little about yourself?" It sounds more like a question. I don't see why I can't tell him about myself later... Oh, right. He thinks I'm going to 'run for the hill' once I know everything.

"Of course," I smile. He smiles back at me and then looks down. His face turns pink and he adverts his gaze.

"Um, you might want to put your pants back on before we go in." I look down and see that I still have my swimsuit bottoms on. Shit. I flush crimson as I pull my pants and shoes out of the plastic bag. I quickly put them on. "Ready?" Edward asks, his eyes still looking anywhere but at me.

"Yeah, I'm ready." We get out of the car and head inside.

* * *

**Next chapter will hopefully be a little longer. Please review and let me know what your opinions are. What do you think is going to happen in the next couple of chapters? Oh, and Bella will be meeting Alice soon. Guess how? Leave your reviews. Go on... Hit that review button. :)**


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